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Hello All,
I'm really hoping someone can help me with this.
Let me start by saying that within the last 3 months, I decided to leave a large automation company where I worked in a mostly Sales/Marketing role to go to take an engineering role in the hope of gaining more technical experience. I say this to caution you that I may not be as technical, automation-wise, as others in the forum...my apologies if I may not be asking the question correctly.
Since my start, I've been put in charge of the simulation portion of a development and training environment. The development environment uses RSTestStand, which is a simulation software (OPC Client), RSLinx (OPC Server and Gateway), iFix (HMI), and a series of ControlLogix processors in a development environment to simulate the hydraulics of a gas and oil pipeline. The training environment is essential identical with the exception that it uses Emulate 5000 to emulate the “real” controller.
My problem is that with the identical code (PLC and RSTestStand Project), I’m getting a series of OPC Async write errors in the development environment (real controllers) and am getting no such problems in the training, emulate environment. To give more details, I am getting these Async write errors specifically when trying to write to a ControlLogix address that does a number conversion, inside of RSTestStand, from Real to Integer. For instance, RSTestStand calculates a flow rate based on the total pressure and resistance of the line using real numbers and then it needs to pass these numbers on to the Controller. We have a series of resources that are doing this and all of them on this particular Controller is causing these problems. Someone else is responsible for the programming. Again, this is not a problem when using the emulator. Furthermore, I’ve simulated other pipelines in the same project using the same code with no errors, however, writing to a different processor. We separate the different lines and control them through different Brains (Controllers). I am having the problems with only this Brain and the lines that it controls.
Some things that I know:
-Even though the errors appear inside of the OPC Client, the value is being written to both the OPC Server and the Brain/Controller. I know this because I’ve monitored the OPC Server by using a separate OPC Test Client and have gone Online with program to see the same values changing from within RSTestStand (OPC Client), the OPC Test Client, and the online program through RSLogix 5000.
-It’s not the physical controller. We can swap and get the same problems.
-The same code works using Emulate 5000.
-The same variables writing to similar address in different Brains for other lines work.
-The problem lies somewhere within RSTestStand and the problem Brain.
-My ENBT module for that BRAIN is version 3.4. Latest version is 3.9.
-We are using version 13 Firmware for the CLX.
-These OPC errors, even though they are successfully writing to the Controller seems to cause other signals such as open and close commands for valves to get through….which is ultimately what is hurting me so much.
I’ve been given till the end of next week to figure this out. You have no idea how much I would appreciate any help or suggestions.
Thanks very much to all those who has taken the time to read this!!! I would be glad to provide any more information and try any suggestions.
Best regards,
Eddy C.
I'm really hoping someone can help me with this.
Let me start by saying that within the last 3 months, I decided to leave a large automation company where I worked in a mostly Sales/Marketing role to go to take an engineering role in the hope of gaining more technical experience. I say this to caution you that I may not be as technical, automation-wise, as others in the forum...my apologies if I may not be asking the question correctly.
Since my start, I've been put in charge of the simulation portion of a development and training environment. The development environment uses RSTestStand, which is a simulation software (OPC Client), RSLinx (OPC Server and Gateway), iFix (HMI), and a series of ControlLogix processors in a development environment to simulate the hydraulics of a gas and oil pipeline. The training environment is essential identical with the exception that it uses Emulate 5000 to emulate the “real” controller.
My problem is that with the identical code (PLC and RSTestStand Project), I’m getting a series of OPC Async write errors in the development environment (real controllers) and am getting no such problems in the training, emulate environment. To give more details, I am getting these Async write errors specifically when trying to write to a ControlLogix address that does a number conversion, inside of RSTestStand, from Real to Integer. For instance, RSTestStand calculates a flow rate based on the total pressure and resistance of the line using real numbers and then it needs to pass these numbers on to the Controller. We have a series of resources that are doing this and all of them on this particular Controller is causing these problems. Someone else is responsible for the programming. Again, this is not a problem when using the emulator. Furthermore, I’ve simulated other pipelines in the same project using the same code with no errors, however, writing to a different processor. We separate the different lines and control them through different Brains (Controllers). I am having the problems with only this Brain and the lines that it controls.
Some things that I know:
-Even though the errors appear inside of the OPC Client, the value is being written to both the OPC Server and the Brain/Controller. I know this because I’ve monitored the OPC Server by using a separate OPC Test Client and have gone Online with program to see the same values changing from within RSTestStand (OPC Client), the OPC Test Client, and the online program through RSLogix 5000.
-It’s not the physical controller. We can swap and get the same problems.
-The same code works using Emulate 5000.
-The same variables writing to similar address in different Brains for other lines work.
-The problem lies somewhere within RSTestStand and the problem Brain.
-My ENBT module for that BRAIN is version 3.4. Latest version is 3.9.
-We are using version 13 Firmware for the CLX.
-These OPC errors, even though they are successfully writing to the Controller seems to cause other signals such as open and close commands for valves to get through….which is ultimately what is hurting me so much.
I’ve been given till the end of next week to figure this out. You have no idea how much I would appreciate any help or suggestions.
Thanks very much to all those who has taken the time to read this!!! I would be glad to provide any more information and try any suggestions.
Best regards,
Eddy C.
